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Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 128, 28 February 1928, Page 13

Attention is directed to the advertising columns, wherein the Government are offering by auction a further batch of (17 residential sites in the Hutt Valley Settlement. East terms of payment are offered. The ready sale of the previous sections offered indicates the necessity for attendance at the auction sale.

It takes an annual picnic to act as a stimulant for some people (remarks the Stratford “Post”). Tho other morning the milk was in the billies by 6 o’clock. A few tradesmen made telephone calls before their customers were out of bed. The postman broke all records in delivery. If only this spirit of “speed-up” could be maintained, there would be no need of “Daylight Saving” Bills —four or five hours per day would serve to coyer all the work necessary, or, by working the full hours, the productivity of the Dominion could be increased by onethird without any special legislation, or subsidies.

Recently it was reported from Whangaroi that a shoal of Blackfish hail formed something like a suicide pact by coming to land to die. and refusing to go back to sea (says an exchange). A similar instance in a minor degree is reported to have occurred at Ilaumoaua a few days ago. It is stated that a giant blackfish, about 18 feet long, was washed to the shore. It showed itselt very much alive, staying on land lor several hours. ■ Eventually, however, a crowd of residents decided to give the visitor a chance for freedom, so they pushed it back into the surf. The mounter appeared to appreciate this move, for. after playing about in the surf for a few minutes, it was seen to. make a dash seawards. The next morning, however, the fish was found back in the same spot on the beach, washed up high and dry. and tills time it was dead. An interesting and unusual visitor to Thames was seen on the road in the person of an old swagger (says the "Star"). Not that swaggers are so uncommon tn these days ot unemployment, but the old man’s method of transport was. In front of him ho pushed an ancient and somewhat decrepit perambulator. the unoiled wheels of which gave audilde warning of his approach. This bore his worldly goods, a tent, bis ewag (still curiously enough, rolled like ,-l genuine “Matilda”', and suspended fiom various parts of the frame were his billy, tucker box and numerous old pots and pans lie had accumulated in his peregrinations. All the old battler needed to complete his fitness for a Tlenry Lawson vignette, was a string c<f bobbing corks around his hat. The ewagsman was quite communicative. “Yes, he’d come a long way—right from Wellington, in fact. Yes. he was an Australian, and had done a good bit 'ou the wallaby’ over there. He'd come across because he’d heard that folks were more matey in Maoriland than in ’New South. Yes. he was a bit disappointed—it certainly was dry—but not so dry as he'd seen it out Bourke-way,”